Sustainability at Gusti Leather
As the world continues to tackle challenges related to climate change and global warming, the sustainability and environmental friendliness of leather are being increasingly questioned. Issues like the correct disposal of harmful chemicals, as well as the humane conditions in which animals are raised and slaughtered are important topics within the leather industry.
We deal with these important questions on a daily basis at Gusti Leather and we try our best to deal with them as transparently and critically as possible. We have incorporated sustainability into our business model. We also ensure that our manufacturers treat wastewater effectively and use the right chemicals to ensure that the leather used in our products is biodegradable.
What does sustainability mean in terms of leather?
Sustainability is the conscious, responsible use of the finite resources on earth. The focus is on the preservation of biodiversity and the lowest possible resource consumption.
With regard to leather, in addition to the care and the humane slaughtering of animals, environmental and water pollution in the production process are in the foreground of the discussion.
The environmental impact of chrome tanning
All products of the Gusti Leather studio line are chrome tanned. The guidelines for the use and disposal of chemicals must be observed. In developing and emerging countries such as India, Morocco or Bangladesh, inadequate environmental standards are still not a thing of the past. However, chrome tanning is no more harmful to the environment than other types of tanning provided that all specified standards for the tanning process and the quality and disposal of the tanning agents are observed.
The major manufacturers of the Gusti Leather studio range must comply with international production standards such as SA 8000. Regular laboratory tests are carried out on all types of leather from the manufacturers to ensure that the guideline values for chrome VI are adhered to. These tests are carried out by recognised laboratories in India as well as by “TÜV SÜD".
Water consumption: How environmentally friendly is vegetable tanning really?
The products of our nature line are tanned with pure plant-based tannins. While there are no chemicals to pollute the water here, large quantities of water are sometimes required for the tanning process. In compliance with the standards, however, only 60-200 liters of water are consumed in a sustainable tanning process today. This corresponds to the volume of a standard bathtub.
Both the production of the plant tanning agent and the tanning itself are nevertheless comparatively water-intensive and time-consuming. However, the largest water consumption takes place in the production of the food, and in the raising of the animals whose skins are processed into leather.
Leather as a 100% recycled product
At Gusti Leather, we deal daily with topics such as the care and welfare of animals and their humane slaughter. Our Gusti Leather nature products come from free-range goats, which are slaughtered in accordance with halal principles in India. In Islam and Judaism, the slaughter of animals is based on religion. The Gusti Leather studio products are made of buffalo leather and cow leather, which is imported in part from Europe to India.
The leather we use for our leather products comes exclusively from animals that are primarily slaughtered for meat production. 90% of the slaughtered animal is used for meat production. Another 5% consists of bones and organs, which are further processed.The remaining 5% is the animal skin, which is waste product . Therefore we use a by-product from the meat industry that would otherwise be thrown away. This makes our leather products 100% recycled.
On this page you will learn more about the slaughter process: slaughter of cattle in India.
Imitation leather and longevity of genuine leather
In the end, the consumer does not see whether the product has been produced sustainably or not. Although leather is long lasting due to its very nature, this former luxury product is very popular in the fast fashion world.
Imitation leather is a material which finds special application in the fashion industry as vegan leather. However, this leather alternative cannot compete with the unique properties of real leather. It consists of petroleum-based raw materials and plastics that are difficult to biodegrade. Also, in the production of imitation leather, chemicals are used which can be substantially more problematic for disposal than chromium materials.
Leather is ultimately a natural product, which should be for long-term use and should not be produced as a seasonal good. With proper care, our Gusti Leather products can last for decades, be passed on and on and gain charm and character with age.